World Briefing / Australia

Wildfire lawsuit against utility

Churchgoers across Australia mourned the victims of wildfires as news emerged of a class action lawsuit against a power company over the cause of one of the blazes that killed more than 180 people and destroyed 1,800 homes.

Police have arrested one man on arson charges and suspect foul play in at least one of the other fires. About 400 blazes have torn across Victoria state this month.

A law firm filed a suit in Victoria's Supreme Court against power supplier SP AusNet alleging negligence for allowing an overhead power line to fall, starting a wildfire, the Age newspaper reported.